Farmer's fury as police refuse to recover stolen van from traveller site due to 'health
Last updated at 4:29 PM on 27th September 2011
A father and son say they are furious that police refused to recover suspected stolen goods from a gypsy site - due to 'health and safety' fears.
Paul and Sean Stanley claim that despite tracking the suspect vehicle and pointing it out to officers, police refused to recover the van and made no arrests - because they had not 'completed a risk assessment'.
Sean, who owns a farm in Northamptonshire, gave chase after being alerted to a break-in by neighbours at around 10.30pm on Sunday.

Angry: Paul Stanley claims that despite tracking thieves who stole his van and vehicle parts police officers made no arrests - because they had not 'completed a risk assessment 'Mr Stanley, who claims at one point the passenger in the van appeared to brandish a shotgun, followed the pair until they turned into a traveller's site.

But police, who visited the site later that night and confirmed the suspect vehicle was on the premises, refused to recover the van and made no arrests.
Mr Stanley said: 'I was at home in Northampton when I found out about the theft and managed to spot the pair as they came through Great Houghton.
'I saw them wave a shotgun at me but I was so angry I carried on following them until they pulled up at the travellers' site.
'I had been on the phone to the police the whole time and they asked me to meet them back at the farm.
'After describing everything to the police they said they would go down there. I followed a little while later to find them sitting outside.
'They told me they couldn't recover the van because they hadn't had a risk assessment. I couldn't believe it.'
He added he had expected police to send out a helicopter and a full police response.

Father and son: Paul and Sean Stanley said at one point one of the thieves appeared to brandish a shotgunThieves stole wheels, lights, bumpers and aluminium side panels from two of the farm's vehicles.
Paul Stanley, Sean's father, said: 'It's a very sad situation when the police aren't prepared to confront a situation like this.'
The pair have since launched an official complaint with the police over the way the incident was handled.
A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: 'This crime is under investigation and no arrests have been made to date.
'Three police officers did enter the site at Ecton Lane and located the suspect vehicle but an assessment was made not to recover the vehicle in the early hours of this morning.
'We have yet to take a statement from the victim and the witness, but checks have been made on the vehicle.
'A complaint has been made by the victim about the decision not to recover the vehicle and this also is being investigated.'